Handling of product complaints

Definition of Product Complaints

Product complaints are complaints received the Pharmacy Enforcement Division regarding medicinal products in Malaysia and also matters related to the pharmacy enforcement activities. These complaints do not include complaints about the services by the pharmacy enforcement officers.

For each of the product complaint received, a confirmation note of receiving the complaint is given. After that, an investigation is carried out to determine the validity of the complaints. The complainant is then informed back once the investigation has finished.

Types of Product Complaints

Among the product complaints received are regarding registered and unregistered medicines, cosmetics, medicinal advertisements and professional ethics.

Complaints regarding registered medicines

The Pharmacy Enforcement Division has received complaints regarding medicines registered with the Drug Control Authority of the Ministry of Health, Malaysia. Product Complaints may involve cases of abuse of registered medicines, sales of controlled medicines without prescriptions or product labelling.

Complaints of unregistered medicines

Majority of product complaints received by the Pharmacy Enforcement Division are in the unregistered medicinal products category. These include complaints regarding traditional medicinal products, sexual enhancement products, slimming products and other unregistered products found at traditional herbal shops, markets, street peddlers and online sales.

Complaints of counterfeit medicines

Complaints are also received regarding counterfeit medicines especially from dubious sources and may be imported from other countries. Cases of counterfeit medicines are alarming since they are potentially harmful. For instance, a medicine given to treat a patient with a certain disease may not be efficacious since the medicine is counterfeit.

Complaints of adulterated food products

In general, the Pharmacy Enforcement Division does not regulate food products. However, if a food product makes medicinal claims, exaggerated or misleading claims and sold with unreasonably high prices, then the Pharmacy Enforcement Division can investigate the product based on information from the public.

Complaints regarding medicine advertisements

The Pharmacy Enforcement Division receives complaints regarding medicine advertisements that are not approved by the Medicine Advertisement Board (MAB), advertisements that make exaggerated claims and suspected to violate the Medicine (Advertisement & Sales) Act 1956, whether in print or electronic media.

Complaints of cosmetic products

Mostly, the Pharmacy Enforcement Division receives complaints regarding cosmetics that are not notified with the Ministry of Health. There are also complaints received regarding adulterated cosmetics and violation of the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984.

Complaints regarding professional ethics

Other than all the categories above which involve medicinal products, the Pharmacy Enforcement Division also receive complaints regarding doctors or pharmacists that breach the professional ethics in the process of supplying medicines to patients.

Other complaints related to control of medicinal products and cosmetics.

How to Make A Product Complaint

Product complaints can be made through telephone calls, emails, letters, and by personally meeting the officer in the Pharmacy Enforcement Division office or the state branches.

A total of 759 complaints were received in the year 2013. Among the complaints received, 48.1% are complaints regarding unregistered products and 10.1% are complaints regarding cosmetics while the others are complaints regarding registered products (7.5%), counterfeit products (3.8%), adulterated food (8.7%), medicine advertisements (6.5%), professional ethics of doctors (4.2%) and pharmacists (6.1%) and other complaints (5%).